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Tuesday 22 October 2002

AM is Australia's most informative morning current affairs. It covers the stories each morning that the other current affairs teams follow for the rest of the day. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

Debate over gun control after Monash shooting

The debate about gun control in Australia has been rekindled, after yesterday's deadly shooting at Melbourne's Monash University. With a man charged and due to face court today, there is a call for a ban on handguns from at least one political party in Victoria - the Greens. But neither of the major parties in the State, where an election is expected soon, is ready to announce changes to their gun control policies.

Vic Police Union concerned about gun control

The Monash shooting is the second incident in two days involving handguns in Victoria. Now, Victoria's Police Union has joined those expressing concern about gun control, saying that existing regulations need to be reviewed and that more needs to be done to prevent criminals from getting hold of deadly weapons.

Federal Justice Minister on hand gun control

The issue of controlling guns in this country can easily run into the obstacle of competing State and Federal powers. For his part, the Federal Justice Minister, Chris Ellison, has been pushing the States to do more to crackdown on the trafficking of illegal weapons and the theft of legal guns for use in crime.

Bali bombing investigations

Police investigators in Bali have been giving more details about the bombs that destroyed two Kuta beach nightclubs last weekend, killing and maiming so many. There were two devices, police say, and not three, as had been speculated for a time yesterday.

Ammonium nitrate bombs difficult to trace

The news that ammonium nitrate was the major ingredient in the biggest of the bombs used at Kuta is not necessarily good for investigators' efforts to find those responsible for the attack. Ammonium nitrate has been described as the most common explosive mix used by terrorists all over the world. As a result it is hard to trace to specific organisations.

Mixed response from Indonesia to anti-terror decree

There's been a mixed response from Indonesia's diverse Muslim groups to the country's new anti terror decree, which was rushed into place after intense international pressure in the wake of the Bali bombing. The country's biggest and most moderate Islamic bodies have given guarded support but hardline groups say that the laws are simply justification for rounding up Muslims.

Sniper left message at recent shooting

A serial sniper terrorising the wider Washington area continues to play a grim cat-and-mouse game not only with the unsuspecting victims but also with US police and the latter are now appealing for the perpetrator to make contact with them again.

ALP leadership questions

Simon Crean's supporters are scrambling in the face of agitation by his critics for a Labor leadership spill. It's the continuing fallout from Labor's historic loss in the Cunningham Federal by-election last weekend.